At an event later today, Danish Shipping will launch an initiative with the aim of increasing the number of women in shipping. The event will be a formal marking of the signing of a charter by 13 shipping companies, including NORDEN, which obliges all signatories to devise a strategy or plan to increase the share of women at the company as well as support and put forward initiatives to support it.
In addition, all companies must develop and set targets for the proportion of women at the company and appoint a member of top management to be responsible for the action.
“Increasing the number of women in shipping is essential to our industry. Diversity at work creates a healthier work environment and improves the dynamics between employees; important factors in every company. This charter is the first step towards greater diversity in the industry”, says NORDEN CEO Jan Rindbo.
NORDEN is highly focused on improving diversity. There are more female employees than ever before – especially in managerial roles. Improving the retention rate for all employees is also an ongoing process which has become evident through recent improvements to conditions for maternity leave – for both men and women.
“However, women are still a big minority and that needs to change. We, as an industry, need to do better. This charter will hopefully contribute to starting a conversation and aspire change that will lead to more women considering a career in shipping in the future”, Jan Rindbo adds.
According to Danish Shipping, it will up to the individual company to make the necessary changes in order to achieve real change and reach the ambitious goal for 2021.
“The shipping companies themselves choose how they will organise the action. They run very different businesses and their starting points are different. Therefore, we will not try to push them to reach one specific goal. But we have a goal as to the number of shipping companies joining the charter. When we enter 2021, 75 percent of the shipping companies, which represent 75 percent of the employees, should have signed, says Anne H. Steffensen, Danish Shipping’s Director General and CEO.
Facts:
- 35 percent of NORDEN’s employees onshore are women. 1 percent of NORDEN’s employees at sea are women.
- 14 percent of employees in Danish shipping companies are women.
- 7 percent of employees at sea are women.
- 2 percent of employees at sea are women, if you exclude ferry companies.
- 33 percent of onshore employees are women.
Along with other shipping CEO’s, Jan Rindbo features in a video from Danish Shipping in which he speaks on the need for more women in the industry. Press the link to watch the video.
https://www.danishshipping.dk/en/press/news/danish-shipping-want-more-women-on-board
